Askville Posts #1: Atheism

From the discussion thread for the question "God is more interested in you listening to God, than talking to God. Can you explain this?"

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Since I consider "God" to be completely imaginary, there is no listening to be done - you can't listen to what doesn't exist, and something that doesn't exist can't listen!

That's not what you wanted to hear, of course, which is why I didn't take an answer slot. But I thought I'd represent the atheist position.

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"Peter, how can you consider something, "GOD" to be nothing?"

EternalOptimist, how can you consider something, "SANTA CLAUS", to be nothing?

Of course I used the words "completely imaginary", not "nothing". Obviously "God" exists as a concept. But Thor, Zeus, and Superman exist in the same way. That doesn't mean you believe in them, do you?

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( Read more... )

Askville Posts #1: Atheism

From the discussion thread for the question "God is more interested in you listening to God, than talking to God. Can you explain this?"

---

Since I consider "God" to be completely imaginary, there is no listening to be done - you can't listen to what doesn't exist, and something that doesn't exist can't listen!

That's not what you wanted to hear, of course, which is why I didn't take an answer slot. But I thought I'd represent the atheist position.

---

"Peter, how can you consider something, "GOD" to be nothing?"

EternalOptimist, how can you consider something, "SANTA CLAUS", to be nothing?

Of course I used the words "completely imaginary", not "nothing". Obviously "God" exists as a concept. But Thor, Zeus, and Superman exist in the same way. That doesn't mean you believe in them, do you?

---

( Read more... )

Askville Posts #2: Atheism

From the discussion thread for the question "How can Christians become less judgmental?"

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I have no idea. I suspect that quality isn't amenable to logic or reason, so the only thing I can think of is for Christians to interact more with non-Christians and Christians of differing sects. If they get the chance to see that those "others" are human beings instead of monsters, maybe that would make it less easy to snap to judgment. At least for some of them.

I hope.

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Ah, Christian touches on a point which I've pondered for a long time.

Some Christians "know" that all nonbelievers are surely destined for Hell - and by "nonbelievers", they often mean anyone who doesn't follow the precise same sect of Christianity as their own.

By that logic, it is not only reasonable for Christians to use virtually any means necessary to convert nonbelievers; it is practically a moral duty. The problem is that although these Christians "know" that they're right, nonbelievers disagree.
( Read more... )

Askville Posts #2: Atheism

From the discussion thread for the question "How can Christians become less judgmental?"

---

I have no idea. I suspect that quality isn't amenable to logic or reason, so the only thing I can think of is for Christians to interact more with non-Christians and Christians of differing sects. If they get the chance to see that those "others" are human beings instead of monsters, maybe that would make it less easy to snap to judgment. At least for some of them.

I hope.

---

Ah, Christian touches on a point which I've pondered for a long time.

Some Christians "know" that all nonbelievers are surely destined for Hell - and by "nonbelievers", they often mean anyone who doesn't follow the precise same sect of Christianity as their own.

By that logic, it is not only reasonable for Christians to use virtually any means necessary to convert nonbelievers; it is practically a moral duty. The problem is that although these Christians "know" that they're right, nonbelievers disagree.
( Read more... )

Askville Posts #3: Meat

From the discussion thread for the question "what is the name of the book that came out in the 20's 30's , exposed the slaughterhouses"

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It was The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. A modern equivalent is Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. I read that and gave up eating fast food completely - haven’t had any for more than six years now!

By the way, it was The Jungle that helped Teddy Roosevelt push through regulation of the meat industry and establish the Food and Drug Administration. Ironically enough, under the Bush Administration meat-industry lobbyists and businessmen were placed in charge of meat inspections. Funding for inspection and enforcement was slashed to the bone, and the industry was heavily deregulated. As a result, the nation’s meat supply is now less safe than it has been in decades.

I’m also reminded of "The Story of Beef", which was an incredibly sick but extremely funny cartoon that appeared in one of the final editions of Critters, a furry anthology comic book (it was issue #50). It featured a happy, smiling cartoon cow who described and showed how he and his cousin, Veal Calf, were turned into...meat.

I showed it to my brother, a confirmed meat-eater. He laughed, but gave up eating beef for about a year.

All in all, I think that if we knew everything that happened in the process of turning animals into meat, a lot of us would probably turn vegetarian. For example, I had a relative who worked in the health insurance office of a union of supermarket workers. Apparently a huge number of claims came from workers in the butcher shops; virtually none of them still had all their fingers. And the word was that when someone accidentally ground up one of their body parts with the ground beef, what came out of the grinder was not thrown away.

It was sold.

As beef.

We’re all cannibals.

(By the way, I myself still eat quite a lot of beef. I just don’t think about it, that’s all.

Askville Posts #3: Meat

From the discussion thread for the question "what is the name of the book that came out in the 20's 30's , exposed the slaughterhouses"

---

It was The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. A modern equivalent is Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. I read that and gave up eating fast food completely - haven’t had any for more than six years now!

By the way, it was The Jungle that helped Teddy Roosevelt push through regulation of the meat industry and establish the Food and Drug Administration. Ironically enough, under the Bush Administration meat-industry lobbyists and businessmen were placed in charge of meat inspections. Funding for inspection and enforcement was slashed to the bone, and the industry was heavily deregulated. As a result, the nation’s meat supply is now less safe than it has been in decades.

I’m also reminded of "The Story of Beef", which was an incredibly sick but extremely funny cartoon that appeared in one of the final editions of Critters, a furry anthology comic book (it was issue #50). It featured a happy, smiling cartoon cow who described and showed how he and his cousin, Veal Calf, were turned into...meat.

I showed it to my brother, a confirmed meat-eater. He laughed, but gave up eating beef for about a year.

All in all, I think that if we knew everything that happened in the process of turning animals into meat, a lot of us would probably turn vegetarian. For example, I had a relative who worked in the health insurance office of a union of supermarket workers. Apparently a huge number of claims came from workers in the butcher shops; virtually none of them still had all their fingers. And the word was that when someone accidentally ground up one of their body parts with the ground beef, what came out of the grinder was not thrown away.

It was sold.

As beef.

We’re all cannibals.

(By the way, I myself still eat quite a lot of beef. I just don’t think about it, that’s all.

Omelas

This story by Ursula K. LeGuin kills me. Fair warning, if you haven't read it: it's painful, and will stay with you.

"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"

Omelas

This story by Ursula K. LeGuin kills me. Fair warning, if you haven't read it: it's painful, and will stay with you.

"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"

Clinton debates

Hillary has accepted a debate offer from the FOX News network, and is urging Obama to debate her there.

In the meantime she has sworn off any debates on the MSNBC network because one of their reporters said that her campaign had been "pimping" Chelsea by having her call and lobby superdelegates.

I'm sure that was offensive to her...but given that she's now a friend of FOX News, the whole thing smells like bullshit to me. I hate to say this, but the Clintons seem to be raising the politics of victimhood to new heights. "Boo hoo, they called my daughter names...vote for me because I've proved I can cope with the Republican smear machine!"

And what about the joke that McCain told about Chelsea? "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno." It's funny how Hillary was able to work so warmly and closely with McCain for so many years afterwards. You'd think her feelings would have been hurt!

Bullshit. It's all bullshit.

Sorry. Tired. Going to sleep now. I'm running a HUGE sleep deficit.

Clinton debates

Hillary has accepted a debate offer from the FOX News network, and is urging Obama to debate her there.

In the meantime she has sworn off any debates on the MSNBC network because one of their reporters said that her campaign had been "pimping" Chelsea by having her call and lobby superdelegates.

I'm sure that was offensive to her...but given that she's now a friend of FOX News, the whole thing smells like bullshit to me. I hate to say this, but the Clintons seem to be raising the politics of victimhood to new heights. "Boo hoo, they called my daughter names...vote for me because I've proved I can cope with the Republican smear machine!"

And what about the joke that McCain told about Chelsea? "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno." It's funny how Hillary was able to work so warmly and closely with McCain for so many years afterwards. You'd think her feelings would have been hurt!

Bullshit. It's all bullshit.

Sorry. Tired. Going to sleep now. I'm running a HUGE sleep deficit.